As shutdown drags on, UMass Dartmouth could feel the effects

The longer the federal government remains shut down, the more likely the impact will be felt at colleges and universities nationwide. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is no different. This past year, the university was the recipient of about $11 million in federal research...

The longer the federal government remains shut down, the more likely the impact will be felt at colleges and universities nationwide.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is no different.

The university was the recipient of about $11 million in federal research dollars in the current school year, roughly half of its total annual research expenditure, explained UMass Dartmouth spokesman John Hoey.

The recipients of those monies include UMass Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology, its College of Engineering and other departments.

Those funds cover graduate research assistants’ work and other expenses, including the purchases of special equipment and laboratory materials.

Hoey said research funding in the current academic year shouldn’t be affected. It would be felt, however, when the same schools apply for future funding.

A visit to the National Science Foundation website confirmed this.

A message posted read: “Due to the lapse in government funding, National Science Foundation websites and business application ... will be unavailable until further notice. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.”

Key federal government data sources have closed and are not being kept current. They include the United States Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning a potential delay in reporting monthly and quarterly employment statistics, with a prolonged shutdown.

UMass students who are also members of the military could be affected if they hadn’t yet applied for their benefits.

The Department of Defense has suspended its popular GI Bill program, meaning it will not will not authorize tuition assistance for new classes during the government shutdown.

Most requests for tuition assistance made prior to Oct. 1, when the shutdown began, should be processed, albeit very likely delayed.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, meanwhile, said it is continuing to process veterans’ education benefits, but that could stop if the shutdown drags on longer than several weeks. The agency has already closed its education call center because of the shutdown.